AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The older man’s glower and dark eyes filled my mind, then memories of my past hit me.
The condescending eyes of my prospective pack trained on me as I bit my words back. My father scolded me, cutting me off anytime I dared to speak up. My mother, whose disapproving eyes reflected my inability to be the perfect omega. Every moment was crystal clear in my mind, making me feel small until I physically shook it off. I wasn’t that girl anymore. I was free, and I was going to fucking act like it.
Never again.
My focaccia was waiting when I got back, and I not so gracefully ripped off a hunk with my hands and shoved it in my mouth.
“Another drink?” the bartender asked, looking a bit concerned.
“Sprite, please,” I said as soon as I managed to swallow. She chuckled and got the soda for me before going off to clean some glasses.
My phone dinged then, and I glanced down to see Valentina’s name pop up with a new text thread.
Valentina:He snuck out. You’re good to come back.
Not wanting to waste it, I quickly worked through the appetizer and downed my drink before pulling out the cash to pay. This was quite possibly the strangest afternoon I’d ever had.
“Anything?” Valentina was on me the moment I was in the car. I grabbed my tee and pulled it on before answering.
“No. He read a book. Then he confronted me outside of the bathroom to ask why I was watching him. A few fucking glances, and he thinks the world is after him,” I grumbled.
“Hm.” She frowned at the news. “I expected more from him. Oh well. There’s always another time. Thanks for helping me out. Now, take us by Neon Nights. I owe my girl here a real drink.” I had half expected her to drop me back off at the dispensary, but this change of events was definitely welcome. After the startling encounter and strange stakeout, I was ready for another shot… or two.
Okay, maybe I’ll call the omega clinic tomorrow.
It had beenthree days since I’d caught the omega watching me at Gino’s Place. I hadn’t heard or seen anything of her since, but I was keeping my eyes out. She didn’t seem like someone who would be involved with the mob, drugs, or the police, but that didn’t mean anything. I shifted in my seat, staring off into space, as I recalled the way she filled out that leather corset. The dark makeup and piercings looked fucking amazing on her, but I could tell the corset wasn’t her usual style. She’d shifted and tugged at it more than once as she tried to ‘discreetly’ watch me. It had me curious to see what she looked like on a regular day. Either way, I knew it would be just as sexy as she looked now. Not to mention the cloud of leather, tobacco, and violet that had intensified when I pushed her for answers… Hell, I still couldn’t get that scent out of my nose.
But mooning over an omega wasn’t going to get me anywhere. I needed to concentrate on the problem at hand, and it was a big fucking problem. The meeting in Clearview hadn’t gone well. There was no progress about what had happened to Danny, and the man remembered nothing. Zaven and Sutton tried to point out that we should be thankful he was alive, which was true, but I needed fucking answers. At least when we went to check on him, he was healing up and coherent. That was more than rivals usually left their victims.
The entire shipment was gone. Fifty thousand dollars worth of ecstacy didn’t just fucking disappear, and I was going to find out who took it and exact my payment from every damn bone in their body.
“Earth to Maximo!” The irritated voice captured my attention.
Blinking slowly, I turned my head and focused on one of my younger brothers.Emiliano, who else would it be.“Yes?”
“Are you going to come down for dinner?” he asked, his clear exasperation letting me know that wasn’t the first time he had asked me that question.
I glanced toward the window and internally groaned. How the hell had it gotten so late? It had been mid-afternoon when I’d come in here to do some paperwork. Fuck, Zaven and Sutton were both going to be pains in the ass about this.
“Shit. Yes, I’m coming now,” I said, standing up and walking around the desk to join my brother.
“Valentina should be here any minute.” Emiliano sent me a wide-eyed, panicked look. “She said she had an announcement to make.”
“I need a drink,” I muttered, rubbing my head as we hurried downstairs and into the dining room. The full spread was already laid out, and the others were waiting for me and Aunt V to join. Alessandro brushed his long hair out of his face while texting someone on his phone. Emiliano sat down beside his brother, leaning over to see what he was doing. Those two didn’t have many boundaries when it came to each other.
Zaven and Sutton sat across from the twins, lost in conversation, though I couldn’t tell what they were discussing since they stopped as soon as I got close. Settling down in the seat beside Zaven, I left the head of the table for Aunt V. Although I might be the head of the mafia side of things, V was unquestionably the head of our family. Most thought it was odd that a woman, much less a widowed omega, was our leader, but she did it so well. Her ballbusting attitude wasn’t something to take lightly.
“Glad you decided to come down,” Sutton joked, a wide shit-eating grin on his face.
Just as I was about to open my mouth and tell him off, the front door slammed open. My aunt swooped in, high heels clicking on the floor, her long gray hair combed to the side and done up in a loose braid. She had on tight skinny jeans, black heels, and a navy blue t-shirt. As always, her face was fully done up. I thought she looked beautiful without it, and I’d told her as much on many an occasion, but she’d just patted my face and said I was a good liar.
“I’ve arrived, boys! Oh look, you all waited on me.” She smirked, settling on the last open chair as if it was her due. “You’ve finally learned manners, I see.”
“Maximo was late,” Emiliano unhelpfully stated, smiling innocently at V. “So we had to wait.”
“Oh my god, E.” Alessandro choked on a laugh as he closed his eyes and shook his head like we weren’t used to Emiliano being a chaotic mess.
“Emiliano said you had news to tell us,” Sutton chimed in, redirecting the conversation. His brow was furrowed as he stared at the older omega. “What news do you have forallof us?”
